Roll film sheet dispenser



May 27, 1958 A. K. ANANDER ROLL FILM SHEET DISPENSER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed Nov. 4, 1954 INVENTOR;

ATTORNEYS.

BY ANDREW K. ANANDER May 27, 1958 A. K. ANANDER 2,835,373

ROLL FILM SHEET DISPENSER Filed Nov. 4, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. ANDREW K ANA/v00? w @104 $62 4 TTORNEYS.

May 27, 1958 A. K. ANANDER ROLL FILM SHEET DISPENSER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 4, 1954 III A INVENTOR. ANDREW K. ANA/V055 film 4M, Mrflv A TTORNEYS May 27, 1958 A. K. ANANDER 2,836,373.

' ROLL FILM SHEET DISPENSER Filed Nov. 4, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

\ ANDREW K. A/VANDER ATTORNEYS.

May 27, 1958 A. K. ANANDER 2,836,373

ROLL FILM SHEET DISPENSER Filed Nov. 4, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. AND/FEW ifA/vmvoze BY WMyzQ A TTOR/VEYS ROLL FILM SHEET DISPENSER Andrew K. Anander, Glen Cove, N. Y., assignor to Powers Chemco, 1112., Glen Cove, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 4, 1954, Serial No. 466,802

14 Claims. (Cl. 24255.4)

The invention relates to a film dispenser and more particularly to a dispenser for roll film whereby various widths of film may be selectively cut to predetermined slzes.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved roll film sheet dispenser for dispensing sheets of film of predetermined size, and especially being capable of dispensing sheets of predetermined size in a plurality of difierent widths. A further object or the invention is the provision of a dispenser which may be conveniently mounted and operated in a dark room, or other suitable place, without error and with great ease. Still another object of the invention is the provision of suitable locking and sealing mechanisms on and in the dispenser whereby accidental exposure of the film to light or the accidental withdrawal of the wrong size film from the dispenser is prevented.

Briefly, the invention comprises a light-tight container having a plurality of film rolls rotatably mounted therein. Feeding means are provided in the container for feeding the film from the roll into a passageway which guides the film to a cutting means where the film is cut into sheets of predetermined sizes said feeding means preferably comprising a plurality of feed rollers mounted for simultaneous rotation. Each individual feed roller is provided with one or more cavities adapted to receive finger-like members mounted on a shaft adjacent the feed rollers. The finger members are constantly urged in a direction to pivot the members outwardly of the cavities in the feed rollers and to lift the film off the feed roller thereby preventing the film from being fed into the passageway. Pivoted guide rolls are also provided to bear against the outer surface of the film to urge the film into contact with the feed rollers whenever the finger members are retracted into the cavities. Manually operated means are provided for selectively rotating the finger members of individual feed rollers into the cavities in the rollers and a locking mechanism is also provided constructed so as to engage the selecting means to permit only one of the feed rollers to drive the film at any one time.

Cutting means are provided at the end of the passageway in the container to cut the film into sheets of preice indicator is also provided on the outside of the container to indicate the sizes of the sheets being cut, the indicator being clutched with the driving means whereby the indicator may be returned to its initial reading after each sheet has been cut.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the dispenser showing the selecting means and the locking means therefor,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center line of the dispenser showing the position of the film rolls, feed rollers and the mechanism for driving the film rolls,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation showing the side of the dispenser opposite to that shown in Fig. 1 showing the indicator, the cutting means and the inter-connecting mechanism between the driving means and the cutting means,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the dispenser showing the cutting means in greater detail,

Fig. 7 is a side elevation similar to that of Fig. 4 showing the cutting means in its open position, and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of a preferred and illustrative embodiment of the invention, and at first to Fig. 2, there is shown a substantially rectangular-shaped, light-tight container, generally designated by the numeral 10, having mounting brackets 12 so as to be mountable upon a wall or other vertical support (not shown). At the front, the container 10 is provided with an access opening 14 and a cover 16 operable by means of the handle 18. At the top of the container a catch 26 maintains the cover 16 in light-tight sealing engagement therewith. Positioned within the container 10 and adjacent the access opening 16 are a plurality of hollow rollers 22 mounted for rotation on the shafts 24 secured on the channel members 25 and disposed horizontally in parallel sets of pairs one above the other. The rollers 22 form supports for rolls of film 26 which are placed upon the rollers and positioned thereon by collars 28. Each roll of film 26 has a width difierent from that of the other rolls or a different emulsion.

Also positioned within the container 10 are a plurality of feed rollers 30, each of which, is positioned adjacent a roll of film 26. The function of the feed rollers 30 is to selectively feed the film from the rolls 26 into a passageway 32, formed between the back wall 34 of the container 10 and the film guides 36, which directs the film downwardly to a cutting means 38 where it may be cut into sheets of predetermined size. To this end the feed rollers 30 are mounted on shafts 31 and provided with recesses or cavities 40 (Fig. 3) preferably formed by sections of decreased roller diameter. Suitable finger-like members 42, adapted to fit within the recesses 40, are mounted on shafts 44 positioned adjacent each feed roller 35). Each of the shafts 44 is provided at one end with a lever 46 joined to a spring 48 which urges the lever 46 and shaft 44 in a direction tending to rotate the fingermembers 42 out of the recesses 40. Whenever the finger members are out of the recesses they contact the underand are pivotally joined thereto as at 52. Disposed between the guide bars 50 and secured to their ends are rotatable rollers 54 which rest upon the upper surface of the. film and urge the film toward engagement with the feed-rollers 30. i V

The feed rollers 38 are simultaneously rotated by means of a crank '56 (Fig. acting through pawl 58 and ratchet A66. Rotation of ratchet 60 drives the lowermost shaft 31 and sprocket 62. An endless chain 63 is mounted on the sprocket 62 and a similar sprocket 64 is journaled on the next higher shaft -31 so t-hat the rotation of the next shaft :is efiected at the same time. Rotation of the next shaft '31 is obtained by another endless chain 65 mounted on sprocket 66 {and a similar sprocket 67 on the next higher shaft.

Means' are provided on the outside of the container lfl for selectively determining which of the feed rollers 30 shall feed film from the-rolls 26 into the-passageway 32. As embodied, the means comprise manually operable levers 129 secured at-oneend'to the-shafts 44. Rotation of oneof the levers 129in-a counterclockwise-direction (as shown in :Fig. 1-) rotates the corresponding shaft 44' so as to retract the finger members 42-into the recesses 49 in .one of the-feed rollers 30 thereby allowing the pivotal guide bars 50-to urge the-film into, contactvwith that feedsroller. In fig. lthe intermediate lever 129 is illustrated in this retracting position.

Locking means :are also provided :to insure lthatpnl one film roll Willgbflzffid to the cuttingmeans at any one time. To'this en'da locking lever' or .arm 131 is pivgtally secured at 133 to the container 110. A screw 135 -.in slot :137 limits themagnitude =of pivotal movement f-the V lever 131. The back edge-139 of lever 131 is formed-with azseries of notches 141, 2142, two of said :notch'esbeing 7 provided for eachcfthe levers 1129. :Uppernotches 141 129 ,fromnotches 141 before1another;lever 129' is pla ed in its notch. "This construction 7 insures against; the possibih'tyof raising one .;of the levers 12910 .arre ra tingrpc iion :with another lever .z ready in ;the r tracting ,posi: tion. Thus only one fihnirolljs allowedto be driven atone time. 7

A. corr c indication. ottheamou o filmh in fe from the film roll is ob n d .by i ev d ;n ro atable indicator 6.8 jeurnaled s n ast sh f 1 9.Q1 .;the 91 i ofh l ntain r .Th aindic t 1 d ven thro g :a :fri ticn-cl teh 72 :by'fa sea :74.. :With s 76 join :t shal 5.3. r n -ha a su tabl sca mounted V on ;1 s-;ne phery wh rehy e ameun e fi f fromt 1 o1 s.-a im yh ;ea 1 .d t rm ne a v mean of vp n e :89 Ansel l h enab e th o erato to read the scale in the dark and finger holes ;84' are provided in the body 0 he indicator to enablethe operatorto dial the indicate pk toits'initialpo'sition against the stop 86. As the pawl- 58 and ratchet .6 0 operate in'only onedirectionmotion of the scale 7,8; cannot. move or reverse the feedyrollers 39, relative movement lbetween the indicator-6 8- and the gear 74 beingspermit'ted by the spring-loaded triction-clutch 72.

The passageway 32 germinates in an opening in the [bottom of the container 1G. .irnmediately adjacent the opening is 'the'cutting nieansjfiw hich preferably comprises the usualv shear typecutting blade. A stationary cutting edge-SS is ,secufedto ;a bracket '90 at-the. back edge of the container'while the movable cutting edge or Bar 100 is positioned between guide bars '102103, .to correctly position the movable cutting blade 92 with respect to the stationary blade 88. A spring plate 105 is positioned intermediate of the upper surface of the movable blade 92 and the underside of the container so that it forms a light-tight seal with the blade'when i the blade is in its closed position. The cutting means thereby forms a lightstight sealtfor the passageway 32 whenever it is in its closed position. 7

Turning now to -Fig 4, interlocking holding means are provided between the cutting means and the feedroller driving means to hold the driving meansagainst oper-' ation whenever the cutting means is in its closed position blocking thepassageway 32. Theholding means preferably comprises a pawl 107 pivoted on the side of container at 109 which normally engages the gear 76 and prevents rotation thereof. A link 111 is joined at one end to the pawl 107 intermediate of its end portions andat its opposite end is provided withla lug 113. Theslink .111 is .also vsecuredcto a locking'lever 115 for the cutting means said lever being pivotally connectedto the container 10 at 117..so as to .pivot Within the guide member 119. lhelourer edge of .the lever 115 .is formed with a notched surface 123 adapted to abut the front edge 1125 coftthebar 10010 prevent the withdrawal of .the

cutting blade 92 tfrom the closedspositionr Lever 115 is also provided at its outer end portion with ,apivoted peg 127 which.maintainsstheileverin a releasingposition (see .Fig. ,7.) ;by abutment with an :extension 128 .on the lower guide bar 193. When the lever ;115.is raised ,to its upper position .the ;link .111 liftsjthe .pawl'1 07 out of engagement with the gear;7 6 thereby permittingoperation of the driving meansby the crank 56. V V

The Operation of thedispenser is as follows: The operator' places his handon the handle 98 of thecutting means and attthe same time lifts the locking lever 115.

by placing thumb onder the lug 1 13 on link 11,1 n h u in up a d y- Upwa o em n 9 t k 1 remo e h pawl o h s at-' and releases the .driving means for operation. When the lqckinglever is moved upwardly the notch 123'is emo ed rom t rg te of ba mi e k if may be drawn forwardly to its open position thereby e eni ithe p ssa w 7 .As th rk i et s' withd aw h r ted Pe ,2 ri e a s t s e 1 abut eest ssi 42 en th snid a 103 an e s t lever lligndpawl ;1 0"7;in their opentpositions.

. .ihetepe atq e. s h .h tee t (i hehas not done this ;already and draws the locking lever lfiljorw ard, at the same time, manually lifting the pro er sel ectiye' le er 1 29. As the lever 131 is drawn forward the previously set lever 129 drops against stops148. Lever 131 is then releas ed and le'ver 129 placed in notch 141; jThisretractsthe finger niembers .42 into the recesses 40 0f theiselected teed roller 3t) permitting the guidebar'r olleri t to urge' thetfilminto jeelding engagem'ent wanna feed roller. Crank 5.6.is thenturned until the indicator indicates that the properflengthhas.been/fed through the cutting means whereupon the ghandle 984's thrust .towardfthe ,back to closetlie cuttingi-means and cut the lm.. When the bar 10 0 strikes peg 127 .thelockingflever 115,. link 1 11 and pawl 197 are dropped to their locking rpo si- :tions. The indicator isfthen dialed ,to'itsinitialpo'sition. against thetstop. a

It will benoted that when the next'operator uses the rotating the-fingers 42 ,outof the recesses. This will. withdrawthe end of means 'just cut fronrthe cutting means thereby insuring that on the next cut the first film will not, be cut againl' The inve tion in its broader aspects is not limited 7 aseae're to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

I claim:

1. A roll film sheet dispenser comprising in combination a light-tight container having a passageway, a plurality of film rolls rotatably mounted in the container, individual feed rollers for feeding film from the film rolls into the passageway, means for simultaneously driving the feed rollers, means for maintaining the film on the rolls out of engagement with the feed rollers, means for selectively positioning the film of one roll on its feed roller, and cutting means to cut the film into sheets of predetermined sizes.

2. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for maintaining the film out of engagement with the feed rollers retracts the film from the cutting means whenever another film is to be cut.

3. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 1 having locking means for engagement with the selective positioning means whereby only one film may engage a feed roller at one time.

4. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim l in which the cutting means forms a light-tight seal for the passageway when in a closed position.

5. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 4 having an interlock between the cutting means and the feed roller driving means to prevent movement of the feed rollers while the cutting means is in a closed position.

6. A roll film sheet dispenser comprising in combination a light-tight container having a passageway therein, a plurality of film rolls rotatably mounted within the container, individual feed rollers for feeding the film from the rolls into the passageway, means for simultaneously driving the feed rollers, retractable means adjacent each feed roller adapted to lift the film off the roller in the non-retracted position, pivoted members bearing against each film to press the film into contact with the feed rollers when the retractable means are in a retracted position, means for selectively retracting one of said retractable means, and cutting means to cut the film into sheets of pre-determined sizes.

7. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 6 having an indicator driven by the driving means for the feed rollers to indicate the length of film to be cut and adapted to be moved in a direction opposite to the driving means to return the indicator to its initial reading.

3. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 6 in which the feed rollers are provided with cavities, and the retractable means comprises a plurality of fingerlike members mounted for partial rotation so as to be retractable Within the cavities of the feed rollers.

9. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 8 in which the pivoted members are connected with the retractable finger members so as to force the film against the feed rollers when the finger members are retracted into the cavities in the feed rollers.

10. A roll film sheet dispenser comprising in combination a light-tight container having a passageway therein, a plurality of film rolls rotatably mounted within the container, a plurality of individual feed rollers in the container for feeding the film from the rolls into the passageway, means for simultaneously driving the feed rollers, each of said rollers having cavities formed therein, a rotatable shaft adjacent each feed roller, fingerlike members mounted thereon and adapted to fit within the cavities in the feed rollers, means for urging the shaft in a direction to rotate the finger members out of said cavities, pivoted guides for urging the film into engagement with the feed rollers, a manually actuated lever for each shaft whereby the shaft may be rotated to retract the finger members into the cavities in the feed rollers, and cutting means to cut the film into pre-determined sizes.

11. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 10 having a lock for the manually actuated levers comprising a pivoted arm having a pair of notches for each of said levers located in one edge thereof, said notches being so posiitoned that only one lever may be locked in a finger retracting position at one time.

12. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 10 in which the driving means for the feed rollers is movable in only one direction and having an indicator frictionally engaged therewith to move in accordance with the driving means to indicate the size of the film sheet, said indicator being movable in a direction opposite to the direction of thedriving means to enable the indicater to be turned to a zero reading after each cutting.

13. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 10 having means for holding the driving means inoperative said means being connected to the cutting means to hold the driving means against operation when cutting means are in a closed position and to permit operation when the cutting means are in an open position.

14. A roll film sheet dispenser as set forth in claim 11 in which the notches in the locking lever are positioned to simultaneously release all of the manually actuated levers upon pivotal movement of the locking lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 896,251 Sappenfield Aug. 18, 1905 1,009,827 Capers Nov. 28, 1911 1,346,970 Ohmer et al. July 20, 1920 1,701,361 Elliot Feb. 5, 1929 2,560,234 Masterson July 10, 1951 2,738,934 Dobkin Mar. 20, 1956 

